Record-breaking extreme weather is the new norm in the UK, scientists have said, showing that the country is firmly in the grip of the climate crisis. Heatwaves and floods leading to deaths and costly damage are of “profound concern” for health, infrastructure and the functioning of society, the scientists said. The analysis found that the number of days with temperatures 5C above the average for 1961-1990 had doubled in the last 10 years. The sea level around the UK is rising faster than the global average, the report said, which worsens the impact of coastal flooding. The rise is accelerating and is higher around the UK than globally, although scientists are yet to work out why.